Making Better Bathrooms: What Is The Right Shower Head Height?

When installing a new shower head, or remodeling your old bathroom, the thing that confuses most people is what the height their shower head should be. On another note, most homeowners find themselves in a predicament when they find that their new house has a shower head that’s too tall or too short.

Worry not, for In this article, we’ll discuss the proper shower head height as well as how to adjust it.

1. The Proper Shower Head Height

Using a shower with the shower head too low or too high is a frustrating experience. You can’t be completely clean when the shower stream isn’t hitting all parts of your body, right?

In construction, there’s no golden rule when installing shower heads, and no specific height requirement written down. However, most shower heads are placed at a height of 6 feet and 6 inches in modern houses. Most homeowners find this the most comfortable height that accommodates all members of the household.

On the other hand, when you are doing some reconstruction or remodeling in your bathroom and installing a new shower head, it’s important to take the average height of your family into consideration. Of course, the shower head should be taller than the tallest member of the family, but still reachable for children and people who must use the shower while sitting down.

At times, however, the choice boils down to the type of shower head instead:

2. Shower Head Types

Sometimes, shower heads are at the right height, but are not the right type—or, they’re both the wrong height and the wrong type. In cases when the shower stream is too close to the wall, or you have to duck in order to use the shower, then it’s time to either replace your shower head or move its height.

There are several types of shower heads, and here are the three most common types:

Standard wall-mounted shower head. This is the most common type of shower head; with a standard head pointing at an angle and a slightly adjustable neck.

Rain shower head. The rain shower head emits a stream that goes directly downward onto the head of the user, mimicking the sensation of rain falling down on you.

Handheld shower head. This consists of a 3-6 foot long hose connected to a shower head that lets you have full control of the stream. This type of shower head comes with a mount that also lets it function as a wall-mounted shower head.

For families with varying heights of members, I recommend installing a rain shower head to accommodate all heights (this is also highly recommended for showers with low ceilings).

Families with babies or pets that bathe in the shower or bath tub can be easier to clean with a handheld shower head. However, if you want to go with the most common and economical choice—it’s the standard wall-mounted shower head for you.

TIP

Albeit more expensive, fully adjustable shower heads that let you adjust both height and angle of the stream easily are very useful.

3. How to Adjust a Shower Head

If you prefer to change your shower head entirely, or want to change the height of your current shower head, we’ve prepared a short tutorial for you. Not to worry. There’s no rocket science behind it; changing your shower head is as easy as changing a light bulb, and I’d bet you can do it in under half an hour.

4. Tutorial

Gather the necessary materials and prepare your work place. Remove bathroom racks, shampoo bottles, and other stuff that may get in your way.

Cut around the adhesive foam or caulk around the edges of the flange (of the current shower head arm) until loosened. Pull the flange away from the wall.

With a wrench or by hand, unscrew the shower arm until you can pull it away from the wall. Unscrew the shower head from the old arm and set aside.

Install the new shower arm into the pipe. Make sure to wrap Teflon tape around the threads of the pipe on both ends.

Insert the old flange from the old shower arm onto the new one.

Screw in the shower head onto your new shower arm. Tighten it using your wrench.

Make sure everything is nice and tight before testing for any leaks.

Put caulk around the hole in the wall where your shower arm is protruding, then push the flange flat onto the wall. Wipe away excess caulk with your rag.

Hold the flange in place to ensure it is fastened by the caulk. Let go after about 5 minutes.

Let the new shower arm dry for about 24 hours.

WARNING

Do not use your shower for at least 24 hours to make sure the adhesive dries completely.

Conclusion

The height as well as the type of shower head are important if you want a headache-free household. Being something that is used daily, the shower should accommodate everyone in the household without it being a frustrating experience. Thus, adjusting a shower head to the proper height is necessary if you have a too low or too high shower head.

If you liked this article, please share it with your friends and family. Also, if you have an inquiry, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below. Thanks for reading!​

Emma Clark

Hey there! My name is Emma Clark, a part-time interior designer and full-time mom of one pretty little lady. This blog is the fruit of my extensive experiences as an interior designer and home improvement enthusiast. More so, I'm here to share with you a lot of great ideas on what YOU can do to make your home into a masterpiece: all cost-effective and amazingly creative.

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